Comments on: Interview: BIll Grosshttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php
Thoughts on the intersection of search, media, technology, and more.Wed, 04 Mar 2015 20:29:26 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0By: Tonyhttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14201
Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:51:17 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14201i think that overture search suggestion tool is inacurate.
]]>By: Joseph Hunkinshttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14200
Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:18:18 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14200Bill – did you build SNAP with the future of online advertising in mind or as a *transition* to what you think will be the future needs of online advertisers and publishers?
You called the PPC shot exactly right years before it went mainstream. I think Gooogle’s added insight was that you needed to separate ads from quality results in a dramatic way but then make the ads incredibly relevant to the search.
]]>By: Gopihttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14199
Tue, 01 Aug 2006 17:36:04 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14199Bill, what do you think of idealab portfolio companies like big.com which even though have a different stated mission (big lettered search results) derrive most of their traffic and revenue from search arbitrage that is adword -> adsense.
]]>By: SEARCH Engine Web ♣http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14198
Mon, 31 Jul 2006 04:05:10 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14198SNAP

SNAP is simply a BRILLIANT idea – not only aesthically pleasing, but interesting and enjoyable, and marketed effectively.

However…..
There are a few concerns – the SERPs are still the bottom line. At this point they are FAIR.

One good strategy would be to take the Yahoo Mindset model, and create a bar and lever that goes from Commercial to Referential for each SERP, to modify them in real time.

Another good strategy would be to create a SNAP Meta Search that would encompass Google Yahoo and MSN and allow the user to use a GYM lever to EMPHASIZE the serps or any Search Engine of to varying degress in real time.

__________________________________________

OVERTURE

In reference to GoTo/Overture, the success was very much dependant on Yahoo and MSN adopting it.

It does not appear that it could have become a player on its own – which is why is was ridiculed at first.

The rationale of creating a pay per click model because the first 10 organic listings on the SERPs were spammy – was certainly NOT the ULTIMATE answer. It was a band-aid approach wich illustrated little faith in the future of Search Engines ALGOS to become relevant

But one good factor about GoTo was that it did allow the small business or newbie to get some of the e-commerce revenue that would probably have been completely eaten up by the large rich companies. And of course, the revenue it helping Search Engines Develop into the 21st century

Thanks for taking the time for the interview and to answer some blog reader questions. I enjoyed your interview with Mr. Battelle and am dissappointed by the comments of some of my fellow readers.

Given your proximity and relationship with CalTech and your comments about Google’s mathematical prowess, how important is one (non-founder / non-ceo) or a few individuals to the the success of a company. If for example Google didn’t have quite the mathematician firepower you cite do you think that would really make a difference or not? Have you had a company around which the technologist’s expertise was so central that without that person the company would not have existed and/or not had the success it had?

Thanks again for your time.

]]>By: SorenGhttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14196
Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:23:07 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14196Nice interview, John. Mr. Gross has certainly been an extraordinary innovator. I like Snap.com as well, and wish it success. But in terms of competing with Google and their weaknesses, I am surprised by the comment, “I think their only weakness, and it’s small, is the increasing challenge they will have to keep up their rate of innovation now that they are becoming such a large company.”

Yeah, that may be a weakness, but geez, if that is all he sees, I am not sure how successful he will be. One giant weakness of all the search engines is that they are limited to existing information on the web — they cannot help emerge relevant information people may seek. The information that exists on the web pales in comparison to all the information that people seek. So then, how do emerge the most relevant information — that Google is not doing. Yahoo Answers is trying to do this a little.

There is also the weakness of lacking a social network and will the youth of tomorrow for example on MySpace be able to search using the knowledge from that network in a way that does not need Google as much? Search (and much more) could be more “network based.” That is another potential weakness I see.

My follow-up question is actually more on innovation. “Since you have been trying to bring potentially powerful ideas and innovations to scale for many years, what makes something hit or miss? Certainly luck and timing are important, but have you noticed other factors?”

I too am a fan of your work — with Google currently testing the CPA model, how do you plan to scale up the traffic on Snap.com? will you be launching (online?) ad campaigns to aggresively promote it? I work in the online media space and had wanted to run a test on Snap but was told to hold off because traffic is still too low, I like the product and am anxious to test it.

]]>By: PXLatedhttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14194
Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:03:50 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14194Well, the first poster certainly has the right handle!
]]>By: sebastienhttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14193
Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:59:16 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14193Bill Gross,
as a man with a long story of building disruptive businesses, what do you think of the current craze around social networking web sites and how they can (search ) monetize their huge traffic ?
]]>By: KING TROLLhttp://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14192
Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:01:51 +0000http://battellemedia.com/archives/2006/07/interview_bill_gross.php#comment-14192As a loyal reader, I think i speak for everyone here when i say, “Really Battelle, Bill Gross? Who gives a shit.”

Next you’ll be telling us you want to interview Scott Mcneally or Steve Case.

Hey , cheer up though bud, I did click on your ads 4 times today so far and even went as filling out a fake online form!